Samantha Heritage
July 2024
Samantha
Heritage
,
RN
Progressive Care
Haywood Regional Medical Center
Clyde
,
NC
United States

 

 

 

Before Sam signed me out, she made sure I had all my questions answered and even told me about some resources where I could find additional information.
I am a man with not much to say, but I wish to talk about Sam, the nurse who cared for me when I was at Haywood Hospital. She was really great and took care of all my needs, which made my stay there really great. She was so kind and proficient and was always there when I needed her. I would recommend her for any award you have.

***

I had my wife drive me to the emergency room on Sunday morning. I was in the middle of an AFIB episode. My pulse had been about 150 bpm for over thirty hours. This was the second trip to the ER in two months. An AFIB attack had also brought me to the ER. That episode resulted in the installation of a pacemaker. Now I am back.

When efforts to bring the pulse rate down did not prove effective, I was assigned a room on the fourth floor where the intravenous efforts could continue. That is when I met “Sam”. Sam was friendly and very pleasant, but more importantly, she was professional, capable, and knowledgeable. I was new to AFIB and very new to the pacemaker. Despite having things explained to me multiple times by multiple people, I still did not fully understand how everything worked together. This lack of understanding can exacerbate anxiety, and in my case, it did.

Despite being quite busy (understatement), she managed to make the time to explain it all to me in very effective way. This was the second time in two months that I had landed in the hospital, but her calm, confident demeanor and competency put me at ease while the efforts continued to bring my elevated pulse rate to normal. I relaxed, knowing I was in good hands with Sam. I looked forward to her periodic stops to check on me and update me on the progress being made. She left when her shift was over, but she introduced me to the one taking her place for the night shift. About 2 am I was told my pulse had returned to normal and had been stable for about 2 hours.

In the morning, Sam was back and told me I was still in normal range and remained stable. Then, she helped expedite my release. Before she signed me out, she made sure I had all my questions answered and even told me about some resources where I could find additional information. She was truly a ray of sunshine to me during a somewhat dark experience. Thank you, Sam! You are the Best!